In defense of the much-maligned PEN-F Art Filter knob.

As the Senior Editor for a regional lifestyle publication, I'm lucky enough to actually work with my cameras almost every day. The downside is I'm conscious of NEEDING them for work, and not taking my "work" cameras out as often as I should. So, I bought the new PEN-F as a carry around kit, and love it. Like most of you, I poured through the reviews. I was struck by how many seemed to not "get" that new color knob on the front! One of the reasons I went straight to Oly for my fun camera is that easy access to the Art Filters. I particularly like the Dramatic Tone. Yes, I can do that at home in post, but why? Either an image lends itself to that effect, or it doesn't, and I love seeing it in the field. Here's an example. First, this is a snapshot for Facebook. Yes, I could have spent more time on it, but that's not why I carry the Oly around. I want to GRAB some of these fleeting moments instead of analyzing them ad nauseam. The first was just a snap of a cool thunderhead forming nearby. Then an instant turn of the knob.

As far as storytelling goes, the Facebook post was much more visually interesting with the second photo. I happen to love that easy access, and their effects... and the PEN-F.

I like the knob too. I shoot RAW + JPEG and enjoy switching back and forth quickly between color and B&W. Also like being able to quickly change the viewfinder so that I can see in B&W. Knob placement doesn't bother me at all.

Should never have been a thing and should have left all the art filter stuff as either something you upload pictures into and process with it online as with prisma/instagram or left in the desktop software. Totally pointless even doing it in camera and giving it its own knob taking up half the whole front face of the camera is something out of the nathan barley school of phone design.

My youngest son's first football game of the season today. Took some cameras and lenses to pass the time shooting during the game. A7ii, A6000, and PEN F. Didn't need or want the dial's function today and never once felt it was in the way. AF was good, but I got more in-focus keepers with the Sony A6000. Used the 40-150 (not the pro version) on the Oly and a 24-240 on the Sonys. The A6000 and 24-240 was the most useful combo. I use the A6000 over my A6300 at my two sons' lacrosse and football games to keep the 400-600 exposures a day OFF of the A6300 shutter. This is the PEN F, slightly cropped.

I really like having the knob there to quickly flick between the modes. I don't use art modes a lot, but I like Pop Art 2 in some abstract photography cases, and being able to quickly try a shot in colour profile 3, mono 2 and then Pop Art with minimal effort is fantastic.
For my hand, the dial is completely unobtrusive. I have zero problem with its positioning.

I still want one even with the knob placement. The knob no doubt resembles the shutter dial on the original Pen-F and FT camera bodies, which I used to own and is the primary reason I went with an Olympus E-P3 when I was researching mirrorless cameras to 'upgrade' to from a DSLR.